Song Meaning
The narrator observes Margery dancing, a solitary act that sparks a deep longing to connect. This desire is so intense it leads to a surreal, almost spectral feeling, as if the narrator is a ghost unable to participate in her world. The thought of this separation is a persistent, intrusive one, highlighting the narrator's profound sense of otherness.
The core of the lyrics reveals an overwhelming infatuation, an "I'm falling for Margery" that consumes the narrator's every moment. This isn't just attraction; it's presented as an existential dependency, where Margery is "a part of me." The repeated lines "Without her I can't see / Without her I can't be" underscore a complete loss of self and perception tied to her presence.
The imagery of Margery becoming "afloat" and the narrator's wish to "pull her up into my arms" creates a delicate, dreamlike scene. The specific detail of her feet being "just a hands width / Above the street" adds a touch of vulnerability and elevation, as if she exists in a space just beyond the narrator's reach, suspended between the mundane and something more ethereal.
This intense, almost disembodied yearning is what makes the lyrics so potent. The narrator's feeling of being a ghost, unable to touch or fully engage with Margery, combined with the declaration of absolute dependence, paints a picture of love that is both deeply felt and tragically out of reach, making the listener feel the weight of that unbridgeable distance.